Mike Dennis, considered one of the world’s most carbon-conscious corporate leaders and the CEO of a top 10 global firm, was presenting at the World Climate Action Summit.
From the moment he strode to the center of the stage, one could sense the passion and deep sense of purpose. Here was a man, his entire presence seemed to suggest, who could be relied upon to tackle the deadly perils and take our blessed earth to a safe zone. Over the next 30 minutes, Mike presented slide after slide about the extraordinary efforts that his global conglomerate was engaged in every sphere of climate action – from solar power plants to carbon sequestration to green buildings.
After almost 75 slides dished out with breathtaking rapidity, he felt justified in believing that his audience would be mesmerized.
And when he turned back to look at them, the mesmerization effects were indeed there – so much that half of them appeared to have dozed off, and most of the rest seemed to be looking glassily up at the ceiling.
In summary, no one seemed to be listening to his presentation!
Even for one of the world’s most sanguine souls, this was depressing. Was there no one at all who would be paying attention to what he was presenting?
He scanned from left to right, front to back, and all he encountered was a mass of human beings separated from each other due to their very different backgrounds but united rock solid in being thoroughly uninterested in what was going on stage.
Mike’s spirits had just about reached their lowest depths of despair when he saw a man – a tall, handsome, professionally dressed man in a neat brown suit – standing straight and looking earnestly at him and keenly at the slides on the screen. He seemed to lap up everything Mike was saying with a keenness that suggested that the man knew something about the importance of time and the urgency of the matter at hand.
Here, felt the CEO, was one paragon, a role model for the hundreds of dozers to look upon as an enlightened human, a soulmate that he could rely upon during times of extreme distress.
Invigorated, he finished off his presentation pronto, and as it was the last session before lunch, just dashed down to meet the man in the brown suit. He would hug him, and perhaps even think of kissing him if he had shaved well and his face was smooth.
Where was he? Mike rushed about, hither and thither, and there he saw him, near the head of the lunch table, with his back to Mike, animatedly talking to someone who looked like his colleague.
Mike just about overheard what he said before the man in the brown suit walked off –
“I was wondering if the last speaker was ever going to finish his stupid presentation. Lunch was getting cold.”